'Boring' Radio National faces axe

Axing the ABC's Radio National was "almost certain" to be discussed by management in budget talks over the next two months, a senior ABC manager said.

The option of axing the network was floated last year by ABC Radio director Sue Howard.

The manager said the idea was shelved for fear of industrial action by ABC staff and a strong community backlash.

"It will almost certainly be looked at again," said the manager, who declined to be named. "Sue has very little regard for it."

Ms Howard is known to have told colleagues in her division: "If you want boring as bat shit, go listen to Radio National."

Radio National features presenters such as Phillip Adams, Robyn Williams, Norman Swann and Ramona Koval.

"It is one of the great institutions within the institution, and it is run on a shoestring," said the manager. "It would cause uproar if they closed it."

Staff at Radio National were yesterday unaware the service's future was being discussed.

The talks occurred during the tense build-up to cuts in the ABC's spending, which brought about the axing last August of the long-running school show Behind The News, World At Noon and the corporation's cadet training program in an attempt to save $26 million.

Ms Howard and ABC director of business services David Pendleton had no comment yesterday. Corporate spokesman Shane Wells said there were no plans to close any ABC radio networks.

"The ABC board at the end of July last year approved a range of measures to ensure the ABC continued to operate within budget," Mr Wells said.

"Obviously the closure of Radio National was not part of that decision. The ABC does not speculate on any individual item that may have been considered or discussed as part of the budget approval process."

Graeme Thomson, ABC section secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union said: "Any manager at the ABC who would even contemplate such an idea should be sacked immediately."